Portable folding bed



Feb. I, 1931. A sM 1,791,540

PORTABLE FOLDING BED Filed July 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 10, 1931.

A. M. SMITH PORTABLE FOLDING BED Filed July 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. dwiAu/l/ 772. elm/2% A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 earns ARTHUR M. SMITH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO MARSHALLJt STEABNS COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA PORTABLE FOLDING BED Application filed July 1, 1926. Serial No. 119,854.

This invention relates to portable folding beds of the type mounted on a carriage frame and adapted to be upended thereon so as to be moved about from'place to place within a room and stored in narrow closet spaces.

It is desirable in such beds to provide counter-balancing springs to assist in the raising of the bed to folded position, but in employing counter-balancing springs there is a tendency for the carriage frame of the bed to flop or fold over on the bed frame when the latter is extended, and the springs are under heavy tension, for the reason that the carriage frame is merely mounted on rollers and is not anchored as in the case of wallbeds. This tendency for the carriage frame to tip is also accentuated by reason of the fact that the base of the carriage frame must be kept within narrow limits to permit of its being stored in small spaces.

In my prior application, Serial N0. 736, 872, filed Sept. 10, 1924, is disclosed means including folding braces for preventing the carriage frame from flopping overontc the bed frame when the bed frame is extended and th'ecounter-balancing springs are under tension. Means are also disclosed for automatically extending the braces when the bed frame, is pulled down and for folding the braces when the bed frame is folded up against the carriage frame.

It is the primary object of my present invention to provide improved means for automatically locking the said braces in their extended position and means co-operating therewith for releasing the locking means and folding the braces when up-ending the bed to vertical position. Another object of the invention is to provide spring means for pulling the braces to the extended position, holding the locking means therefor in their brace locking position and acting also to hold the braces in their folded position.

One form which my invention may assume Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bed in extended position and equipped with mechanism in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view in section of the head portion of the bed, illustrating the means for controlling the swinging movement of one of the braces.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the connections between the folding bed frame and one of said braces or supports.

Fig. 4; shows a perspective view of the bed shown in Fig. 1 with the bed frame in raised position.

Fig. 5 shows a View similar to Fig. 2, with the brace or support in extended position.

Fig. 6 shows a detail view of the head portion of the bed in elevation, illustrating one of the swinging braces or supports in folded position.

The folding bed of the present invention comprises a carriage frame which consists preferably of an upright head piece 8, side rails 9, and a front bar 10, forming a substantially rectangular frame in plan, mounted upon rollers or casters 11. Pivotally mounted upon the side rails 9 is a bed frame 12 carrying at its outer end the usual folding foot-piece 13. This bed frame is counter-balanced by means of contractible helical springs 14 extending from a cross-bar 15 on the bed frame to the front bar 10 of the carriage frame.

It will be seen that when the bed frame is lowered or extended as illustrated in Fig. 1, there is a tendency for the carriage frame to flop forwardly, due to the action of the springs ll under tension, the short or nae row wheel base of the said carriage frame being insufficient to prevent such tilting of the said carriage frame. To overcome this tilting or flopping of the carriage frame I provide an extensible brace or support 16 at each side of the carriage frame and in front thereof. Each brace or support is pivotally connected on a vertically disposed axis to the front of one of the side rails 9, so as to swing horizontally or nearly so. The toe or outer end of each brace or support is provided with a. caster or roller 17 for contact with the floor when the brace or support is extended in a position to align with the side rails 9. These braces or supports are adapted to be folded in a position parallel with the front rail 10 of the carriage frame, and their pivots are preferably arranged at a slight inclination, so that when the said braces are in folded position their casters or rollers 17 will be slightly raised above the floor, as indicated in Fig. 6, so as not to interfere with the transporting of the carriage frame.

The movement of these braces or supports from tilted to extended position, and vice versa, is entirely automatic, and controlled by the raising and lowering of the bed frame. The operating connections for this purpose include a lever 18 for each brace or support fulcrumed at 19 upon the lower portion of the carriage frame. Each lever at its outer end is connected with a linl: 20, which in turn connects with the adjacent brace or support. A plate 21 is secured to each lever, 18 inter mediate the pivot 19 and link 20. These two plates are connected together by a contractible helical spring 22.

lVhen the braces or supports 16 are in the folded position (Fig. 2), the spring 22 is located at the rear side of the pivots 19. When thus located the spring acts to hold the lovers and braces in the folded position. A small pivotal movement of the levers in the brace opening direction brings the spring to the front side of the pivots. In such position the spring acts to swing the braces to the extended position (Fig. 5). The levers are automatically moved to these positions, bringing the spring on opposite sides of the pivot, upon raising and lowering of the bed frame, by the mechanism now to be described.

An upstanding pin 23 is mounted on the free end of each lever 18. A longer upstanding pin 24 is mounted on a plate 25 also secured to this end of each lever. These pins are so spaced and located as to receive the head end rail 26 of the bed frame therebetween when the frame is brought to the folded position shown in Fig. 2. Then the bed is lowered this rail engages the pins 23 and moves the levers 18 sufliciently to bring the spring 22 to the front side of the pivots 19, whereupon the spring automatically moves the braces 16 to the extended position shown in Fig. 5. l Vhcn the bed is raised, the rail engages the pins 24 and moves the levers and braces 16 to the folded position shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 5, movement of the lovers 18 in the brace extending direction is limited by the pins 23 engaging against the carriage frame. When extending the braces the spring 22 moves the pivotal points 27, c0nnecting the lovers 18 and links 20, beyond the relative straight position of such members and holds the same thus. One of the most novel features of my invention is that, in this extended position, the braces are positively locked and cannot move inwardly until the bed is folded. The spring 22 therefore acts to hold the braces in their folded position, to open the braces to the extended position, and to hold the braces in their locked extended position. The pins 23 and 24 and the cooperating mechanism act to automatically throw the levers forwardly and backwardly, bringing the spring 22 forward and backward of the pivots 19, respectively, when the bed is lowered and raised. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is 1. In a portable bed comprising a carria e frame and an up-ending bed frame pivotal y mounted thereon, braces pivotally connected with the carriage frame at the front thereof for swinging movement in a substantially horizontal planefrom the folded position adjacent the carriage to the extended position away therefrom, pivoted means connected to the braces and in the brace extending position acting to lock the braces against folding on the carriage, spring means connected to the pivoted means and acting on one side of the pivots thereof to hold the pivoted means in the locking position when the braces are extended, and on the other side of the pivots to hold the pivoted means in the brace folding position when the braces are folded, and means operated by the pivotal movement of the bed frame for moving the pivoted means in the brace extending direction sufficiently to direct the force of the spring means to the brace opening side of the pivots when lowering the bed frame and for releasing the pivoted means and moving the braces in the folding direction sufficiently to direct the force of the spring means to the brace folding side of the pivots when raising the bed frame.

2. In a portable bed frame comprising a carriage frame and an up-ending bed frame pivotally mounted thereon, braces pivotally connected with the carriage frame at the front thereof for swinging movement in a substantially horizontal plane from the folded position adjacent the carriage to the ex tended position away therefrom, jointed links pivotally connected to the braces and carriage frame, spring means connected to the llI'lkS and acting thereon in one position or" the bracesto yieldingly hold the braces folded against the carriage frame and in another position of the braces to swing and yieldingly hold the braces outwardly to the extended position, and means carried by the bed frame and acting to initiate the movement of the links to the said one position on up-ending of the bed to vertical position and to initiate the movement of the links to the said other position upon lowering the bed frame from the vertical position.

ARTHUR M. SMITH. 

